Shattered Dreams Part 4
by Terry Orlando
Summary: Tragedy puts a strain on Lee and Amanda's relationship.


SHATTERED DREAMS

PART 4

The next day the floor of the hospital that the King family was practically living on became overrun with activity. Outside the waiting room, halfway down the corridor, a screening room for potential donors for Jamie King had been set up. Dottie awoke to find that she and Philip were the only ones in the room. She left him sleeping and stepped out into the corridor.

Several people were milling around a closed door, seemingly waiting. She looked on as T.P Aquinas and Leatherneck, as well as a handful of other agents, stood around talking. Although Dottie didn't know any of these people, she couldn't help wondering what was going on. Suddenly, her curiosity was peaked when she saw Francine and Billy join the group of people. Dottie recognized Francine as the woman Lee was speaking to just the other day and the man with her looked very familiar. She watched in a daze as Joe, Amanda and Lee came from around the corner, stopped to talk to these people, then continue towards her.

As they reached Dottie, she gave them a questioning look.

"Isn't this great, Dottie?" Joe said with a smile. "All these people are here as possible donors for Jamie."

"But...how..." she looked back at the gathering, then turned to Amanda. "Who are those people?"

Amanda, exhausted and not thinking clearly, replied, "They're just people we work with, Mother."

Simultaneously Amanda realized the slip, Lee shot her a disapproving glance and the dawn of recognition spread across Dottie's face as she looked back at Billy. In an attempt to dodge her mother, Amanda rushed into the waiting room and ran into Philip. 

"Sweetheart, how are you feeling? Did you get some rest?"

Before Philip could answer his mother, Dottie grabbed Amanda by the elbow and turned her around. "Amanda! That man out there! I remember him! That's that Mr. Melrose. The one who was..."

"Yes! That's who he is. Now, please lower your voice, Mother."

"Lower my voice!? Why!? What have you got to do with him!? What do you mean you work with him!?"

"Mrs. West, please!" Lee whispered harshly.

"Dottie," Joe tried to calm her as well. "Take it easy. It's all right."

"All right? What is going on here? What are you three hiding from me?"

To everyone's surprise, Amanda, who usually had a great deal of patience with her mother, suddenly turned on her.

"Mother, whatever is going on in my life is my business! You want to know the truth? I'm tired of thinking of lies to all your questions! I'm tired of having to explain myself to you! It's my life and I'll live it the way I see fit! You want to know if I'm hiding things from you!? Yes, plenty! Some day I may decide to tell you what it is! Maybe not! Either way, it's my decision! Right now, all I'm focused on, all I CAN think about is Jaime! I don't want to talk to you or anybody else about anything else! If you can't handle that, leave now!"

Dottie shrank away from her daughter. She had never spoken to her in that manner and she wasn't sure how to deal with it. She was hurt and angry, but said nothing. Instead, she turned away from Amanda, tears beginning to sting her eyes, and sat down. Lee and Joe were equally shocked, but before either could say a word, Amanda told them both to stay out of it. Then, she practically ordered Joe to take Philip home to get a decent meal and much needed rest.

Billy and Francine overheard Dottie and Amanda shouting and made their way to the waiting room. Billy felt responsible for the situation at hand. He knew he was taking a gamble when he made the announcement about Amanda's son at the agency, but he had grown very close to her over the years and couldn't fight the need to do something for her. Now, it looked as if he had just caused her more problems.

Dottie watched as Lee and Amanda talked quietly with Billy and Francine in a far corner of the room. They tried to whisper, but every once in a while their discussion became a bit heated and Dottie cold hear such phrases as 'it's time she knew the truth' and 'you can't keep it from her forever.' It didn't matter. She didn't need to hear it from them. She already figured it out. 'Mr. Melrose is a government agent - a spy. Amanda said her and Lee worked with him. That can only mean one thing - they're spies too. Did they think I wouldn't figure it out? Do they think I'm stupid?' Dottie's thoughts brought on a new wave of anger, but, before she could voice her feelings the discussion broke up and they walked over to her.

Given that they had the room to themselves, Billy felt it was safe to have the conversation there. He gave Dottie his 'national security' and 'need to know' speech, then proceeded to confirm her suspicions. Neither Lee nor Amanda could look at her while Billy told her as much as he could, without going into detail, about when and how Amanda came to work for the agency.

When Billy finished, Dottie surprised everyone by simply stating that she had always 'suspected something like this.' However, it was obvious to all that the tension between mother and daughter had not been lifted. If anything it had gotten worse. They still hadn't spoken a word to one another when Joe and Philip returned.

Later in the day they were all joined in the waiting room again. Billy, Francine and Lee had gone to the agency for a while and had returned. Amanda and Joe had just come from Jamie's room. They tried to spend as much time as they could with him, but they didn't want to neglect their other son.

Back in the waiting room Amanda was approached by the nephrologist, Dr. Lowenstein.

"Mrs. King, I need to speak with you." "Privately." He added when it was apparent that Joe meant to join them.

"Now, wait a minute! Jamie is my son too! If this has something to do with..."

"I understand Mr. King," he cut him off, "...but right now I need to speak with Mrs. King...alone."

Amanda cautiously followed the doctor across the hall and through a door marked 'PRIVATE'. 'Why doesn't he want Joe in here,' she wondered as she sat across from the doctor who had seated himself behind a large desk.

"Mrs. King, the reason I wanted to speak to you alone is, as you know, you were screened as a possible donor for your son. The screening revealed two very important facts." He hesitated a moment, then, "Mrs. King, are you aware that you're...pregnant?"

The question startled her. "I...I didn't know they tested for that."  


"Yes, it's standard procedure."

"Yes. I am aware of that. I've already seen my own doctor."

"That's good, that's good. Mr. Stetson...is he the father?"

"That's really none of your business," Amanda replied, shocked that he would even ask such a question.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound bold, it's just, well...if he is the father, perhaps he should join us."

"Why? What's wrong?" Amanda was starting to worry. She couldn't take one more shock.

"As I said, there are two things I wanted to discuss with you. The other is...we found a perfect match for Jamie."

"Oh, thank God! I thought you were going to give me more bad news. I don't think I could take any more. So, you found a match. That's wonderful! When will you do the operation? Can you tell me who it is, I'd like to thank them personally. Oh...it's Lee isn't it? That's why you were asking about him..."

Dr. Lowenstein tried to force his way into her excited rambling. He couldn't get a word in so he held his hand up, indicating her to 'stop' and Amanda abruptly fell silent.

"Mrs. King...Amanda...it's not Lee...it's you."

"Me?" Amanda breathed.

"Yes. That's why I asked about Lee. If he is the father and he knows about the baby, he obviously has to be told. Of course, I think you should tell him either way, but that's just my opinion."

"Told what?"

"If you should decide to donate your kidney to Jamie..."

"If I decide!? Of course I'm going to give him a kidney! He's my son!"

"Amanda, you don't understand. It's not that easy. A surgery of this magnitude...before we could perform the transplant...the pregnancy would have to be terminated."

Amanda could feel the blood drain from her face and her hands began to tremble as a part of her slowly died.

"Isn't there any way..." she started to ask, but the lump in her throat wouldn't allow any more.

The doctor just shook his head, "I'm sorry."

Amanda lowered her head. "Why does there always have to be bad with the good?"

She hitched in a breath as she tried to stifle her tears, then let out a long sigh.

"You were right. Lee should be here."

"I'll get him," he said as he rose and walked to the door.

Amanda just nodded as the tears started to fall.

TO BE CONTINUED


End file.
